In The News : Broadcast Sports, Inc. helps ESPN launch the inaugural Carrier Classic
Broadcast Sports, Inc. helps ESPN launch the inaugural Carrier Classic
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 | BSI Staff
Hanover, MD. . . Broadcast Sports, Inc. (BSI) will play a key role in ESPN's broadcast of the Carrier Classic basketball game to be played on the USS Carl Vinson Aircraft Carrier in San Diego on Veterans Day, November 11, 2011. President Obama is expected to attend.
The match-up between the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball teams from the University of North Carolina and Michigan State University will be played on the flight deck of the ship that carried Osama Bin Laden's body to sea. This is the first college basketball game to be played in this type of extraordinary venue. Tickets will be limited to active military personnel and VIP attendees. Approximately 7,000 will be granted permission to come aboard the nuclear-powered Nimitz Class Supercarrier. The game will be broadcast live at 7:00 p.m. Eastern and 4:00 p.m. Pacific on ESPN.
A world leader in RF camera and audio systems for over 25 years, BSI will provide the wireless audio and video for both the Game broadcast as well as the SportsCenter shows which originate from the event including 2D and 3D camera systems, RF camera systems, and RF sideline, anchor, and player microphones. Logistics for an event of this significance and broadcasting scope mean meeting a set of complex requirements including coordinating secure frequency spectrums with the US Navy and managing back-up location equipment needs throughout the USS Carl Vinson and on shore. The command and control of all of this gear will take place in a 53-foot BSI trailer located over 300 yards from the aircraft carrier. 5 BSI professionals will be on site to service the game.
"The location for this game is amazing," says Lou Meyers, Core Plus Supervisor for BSI. "What makes this event so unique are the challenges associated with security. We will be escorted by US Navy personnel everywhere we go which adds a layer of coordination. In addition, we will be managing radio frequency access with the US Navy, the US Secret Service, and ESPN throughout the coverage. At the same time, there is another outdoor event in the same harbor which will also contribute to radio frequency adjustment needs." Meyers went on to affirm," BSI is excited about the opportunity to be a part of an event of this scope that recognizes the commitment of our US Armed Forces."
"This is one of the biggest thrills in my coaching career, to be involved in that kind of game," Tar Heels coach Roy Williams told the Associated Press. "It really is as neat of a deal as you can possibly imagine."
James Worthy and Magic Johnson will serve as honorary captains for their alma maters.
The carrier will be at its berth at North Island Naval Air Station. To the south is US Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, where Navy SEALs train. Across San Diego Bay is US Naval Base San Diego.
The court, surrounded by temporary stadium-style seating, will be located between the island and the forward catapults of the carrier. In case of rain, the game will be moved below to the hangar deck.
Rear Admiral Dennis Moynihan, the Navy's chief spokesman, explained to the Associated Press, "The ship is a representative of more than 100 Navy ships that are deployed right now. We see this as a celebration of service for all veterans, and we also see this as a great opportunity to showcase what our Navy does on a daily basis."
Morale Entertainment Foundation, which hopes to help raise the visibility of the Navy with the Carrier Classic, brings notable Americans, such as former astronauts Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan and Jim Lovell, as well as coaches and race car drivers to visit troops in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
About Broadcast Sports, Inc.
For over 25 years, Broadcast Sports, Inc., an L-3 Communications company, has been the leading provider of wireless technology and communications systems for television broadcasting. Headquartered in Hanover, MD, BSI provides HD on-board cameras and wireless audio for a wide range of entertainment events around the world including the Olympics, NASCAR, NFL, the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, the Indy Racing League, the Breeder's Cup, the X-Games, the Kentucky Derby, the US Open, and the MTV Video Music Awards, and the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. Broadcast Sports' cameras are also used by NASA in the astronaut's helmets.
For more information on Broadcast Sports, Inc. visit www.broadcastsportsinc.com.
